Michael had to go to Rikers; will be back

Michael has been sleeping in front of a renovated storefront on East Sixth Street. Next to the incoming Schwimmer Manor, actually.

This note appeared this week. As you can see, he had to go to Rikers, either as a visitor or guest. Not sure which.

His blankets are also stored here.

Someone stole the horns off the Billy's Antiques sign

Billy Leroy told us last night that someone swiped the horns off the Billy's Antiques sign on Houston at the Bowery...

"Kinda blows," he said.

So keep your eyes out for these...

The big tent came down here earlier this year... a new Billy's may be back at this corner... Meanwhile, Billy is busy with "Baggage Battles" on the Travel Channel.

2 photos of former East Village pizzerias

Pizza Week is wrapping up over at Eater... and one of their features — Old Photos of New York City Pizzerias.

Among the photos: Village Inn Pizza on Avenue A at St. Mark's Place circa 1979...

Which reminded of a photo I saw a few weeks ago at Neighborhoodr: Tito's Pizzeria on the corner of Second Avenue and 12th Street in 1965...

At the site of the current City Cinemas Village East...

The Tito's photo came via urban metaphysics.

Find all of Eater's Pizza Week stuff here.

Another sign of the cross at St. Brigid's

The cross is back atop the under-renovation St. Brigid's on Avenue B at Eighth Street... and it looks more permanent since the last time that it made an appearance...

Dunno about you, but we're really looking forward to that construction tarp coming down from the front of the church.

And a photo of the church from 1928 via the NYPL Digital Gallery ...

Norman's Sound & Vision is for rent

Earlier in the week, our friend Alex at Flaming Pablum brought the news that Norman's Sound & Vision was closing and moving to Williamsburg ... the Brooklyn location is open, and now the Cooper Square storefront is for rent...

The East Village location was expected to close in August.

Meanwhile, not necessarily newsy, but the Rockit Scientist space around the corner on St. Mark's Place is also for rent. Rockit closed last month, as Jeremiah first reported...

We're hopeful that owner John Kioussis will decide reopen somewhere else in the neighborhood when the time is right ...

Previously on EV Grieve:
There is now only one record store left on St. Mark's Place

Bendy thing back in action on Second Avenue!

Oh, it has been so long since we've seen that concrete pump bendy thing at work over in the former 9-17 Second Ave. Anyway, Bendy is Back!

And he or she brought his or her cement truck friends along...

Coming soon. A 12-story apartment building. Previously.

Photos by Bobby Williams.

Noted

16 Handles ad on Second Avenue at East 12th Street.

This is what 67 and 69 St. Mark's Place looked like on May 10, 2012

This year, we'll post photos like this of various buildings, streetscenes, etc., to capture them as they looked at this time and place... The photos may not be the most telling now, but they likely will be one day...

[Updated] Centre-Fuge public art project honors the Beastie Boys on East First Street

EV Grieve reader @jimnobu sent along the above photo from East First Street tonight... It's part of the third cycle for the Centre-Fuge public art project ... BoweryBoogie has all the details on the latest artists right here.

And we'll add the name of the artist as soon as we get it... The mural is by Danielle Mastrion.

Previously.

Picnic table caught trying to escape from Tompkins Square Park dog run

Amateur hour! You need to wait until nightfall. Duh!

Uh, actually have no idea what was really happening here. Still.

Photos by Bobby Williams.

On a fender-bender

Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place. A little bit ago.

Maybe it's a Maybelline TV commercial?

From earlier today on Avenue A at St. Mark's Place... a Maybelline TV commercial... featuring, here, Charlotte Kemp Muhl... (she's dating Sean Lennon? I can't keep up with all this...)

[Photo by EVG reader @daniellegiza]

... and later, around the bend...

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning edition

Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place circa 1935 (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

The LES in photos from the 1890s-1940s (Gothamist)

Martin Scorsese relives the old Bowery days (The Gallerist/NY Observer)

The latest on a 7-Eleven and Dunkin' Donuts for Seward Park (BoweryBoogie)

Teen fights off attacker on Delancey (The Lo-Down)

Watching the May Day go by (The Gog Log)

Finding a Harajuku-style haircut in the East Village (DNAinfo)

And there is a Maybelline commercial filming now on various streets ... Via @CelineNYC —

Shoot on Ave A & St Marks. Spotted: a panda and alligator on set

East Village photographer aims to capture 'The History of the World'

East Village-based photographer John Marshall Mantel told us about his new project — "The History of the World."

And what does this entail?

"My plan is to walk up and down every street in the entire world, photographing interesting things along the way. When I am done, I will have completed a history of the world. So far, I mostly have been shooting in the East Village and Lower East Side."

He figures it will take 30 years to complete.

Here are a few of his East Village photos at the beginning of his journey...

You can find his Tumblr here

[All photos by John Marshall Mantel]

Why there could be a long, hot summer at 140-150 E. Seventh St.

Last Friday, we noticed that workers had erected a really long stretch of sidewalk bridges along 140-150 E. Seventh St. between Avenue A and Avenue B...

A resident filled us in on what's happening... Short version: to address leaks, the landlords are sealing up the wall sleeves for air conditioners instead ... and are asking residents to purchase window units (which the landlord will kick in $200 for...)

This development isn't sitting so well with some residents.

There are memos.

First, from the landlord. The following arrived after the sidewalk bridge was up and confusing residents. (Someone already scribbled his or her disapproval on the note.)

[Click to enlarge]

An excerpt:

We will be removing your Wall AC Unit and seal up the hole that is left. A $200 credit will be given for your purchase of a Window AC Unit. JRC Supers will handle the installation free of charge.

There will be dust and debris from the work performed. Please be sure to keep your windows closed if workers are nearby or if you leave your apartment.

And here is response from a resident (or residents).

[Click to enlarge]

An excerpt:

If the landlord takes each tenants' AC wall unit away, is not this a reduction in services? Would that not equal a reduction in rent?

How is it we should be asked to keep our windows closed for THREE MONTHS and have our air conditioner (some of us have purchased our own wall units) taken away just as the HOT months of summer are beginning for a mere $200 credit.

Also, is this considered a Major Capital Increase that will benefit the landlord only, and ultimately cause our RENTS to be RAISED?

Anyway, here's how it all might look one day.

Now!

Later!

Our tipster says that the landlords are pretty cool, and are generally responsive ... It's a good place to live, though this situation is setting up for a long, hot summer at 140-150 E. Seventh St.

Yarn bombing the Mystery Lot fence

Over on 14th Street near Third Avenue...

It's the work of HOTTEA. BoweryBoogie has more on this former graffiti artist today right here. He has yarned(?) several fences around the neighborhood in recent days.

Biker Billy Lives

Spotted these "Biker Billy Lives" messages around various walls the last day or two...

There's Biker Bill, a regular through the years at Bob Arihood's Neither More Nor Less...

Biker Bill Says : "What Do You Mean ... Do I Twitter?"

[Bob Arihood]

There were rumors going back five months or so that Biker Bill had passed away. No one ever confirmed that. But then, some people don't recall seeing Biker Bill of late. I thought I saw him a few weeks ago outside Ray's.

Of course, there's the imposter Biker Billy.

Definitely haven't seen him lately.

Does Biker Billy live?

A Bowery and East First Street now and then

Our new friends over at NYC Corners launched their site last month... Per their description:

Whenever possible, we will show side-by-side photos of a particular street corner taken years or decades apart... and that's when the real magic happens.

And here's one of particular interest: the southeast corner of East First Street and the Bowery circa 1942 and today...

Wonder if Blue & Cream will start selling expensive photos of Al's Barber Shop?

Alphabet City Beer Co. sign up now on Avenue C

[Photo by EVG reader Nathan Archambault]

The sign is up now for the incoming Alphabet City Beer Co. on Avenue C near East Sixth Street... it's the beer-themed retail outlet (and small bar with tastings and food like cheese, meat and pickles) from David Hitchner of Alphabet City Wine Co. a few storefronts to the south. (He also owns In Vino on East Fourth Street.)

We haven't heard about an opening date just yet... the last word on their Facebook page dated late April: "Getting close."

More details to follow.

[Via Facebook]

Next time, the rat may be driving the car

A reader comment on our post about rats in Tompkins Square Park from yesterday:

We just discovered a new twist to the EV rat problem — we were driving our car (which we park on the street) to pennsyvlania, when the engine light went on. When we got there, my husband popped the hood only to see a rat disappear into the engine! The mechanic called it a "mickey mouse" job and says it happens all the time in manhattan — the rat chewed 1200 fucking dollars worth of damage to the wiring!

For more on this topic:
Under the Hood, a Cozy Rat Retreat
The New York Times
December 2003

[Image via]